Suscinio Castle

Suscinio Castle, locally known as Château de Suscinio, lies west of the village of Sarzeau, in the Morbihan department in France.

Suscinio Castle started out as an unfortified seigneurial manor, managing an agricultural estate, when it was built in 1218 for Peter I, Duke of Brittany. In 1229, his son John I started to fortify the manor and turn it into a castle.

At the end of the 14th century, under Duke John IV, the castle was enlarged after the castle had been taken by Bertrand du Guesclin, a Breton knight who would later become Constable of France. The duke John V carried out consolidation works and had a new tower built during his reign in the first half of the 15th century.

From 1471 to 1483, during the Wars of the Roses, the castle housed Jasper Tudor, Henry Tudor (the later King Henry VII of England), and the core of their group of exiled Lancastrians. They were there under the protection of Duke Francis II. After the Tudors were betrayed by Francis' treasurer, they fled to France. After the remaining Lancastrians had also safely left the castle for France, the use of Suscinio Castle by the Dukes of Brittany most likely ended. After that the castle was gradually abandoned.

Under Francis I of France, in the first half of the 16th century, Suscinio Castle became property of the crown. Francis I then offered it to a mistress.

During the French Revolution, in 1798, the already very dilapidated castle was sold as National Property to a merchant who then exploited it as a stone quarry after which it fell to ruin.

Vicomte Jules de Francheville acquired the ruined castle in 1852 and consolidated it. Since 1965 it is property of the departmental council and is slowly but surely being restored.

At present Suscinio Castle can be visited for a fee. A very nice castle.

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